Seam roller



W. PARKINSON SEAM ROLLER A ril 19, 1949..

Filed March '7, 1946 in m' IN V EN TOR.

AZ'TOKNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFlCE Claims.

This invention relates to paper hangers tools and is herein illustrated as embodied in a seam roller.

In the art of paper hanging use is commonly made of a roller to apply pressure to a seam formed between adjacent strips of paper marginal edges of which are in abutting or overlapping relation. The roller is moved along the seam to apply pressure to the margins of the strips,

thereby to insure that the strips are firmly bonded to a wall or other support along their edges and at the same time to produce a smooth seam.

, One difficulty heretofore experienced in the use of such rollers has been that wallpapers, particularly comparatively expensive, delicate Wallpapers, are readily marked by the edge of the roller, often causing an unsightly seam.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved tool of the type referred to so constructed and arranged that any likelihood of marking paper by engagement of the roll therewith is eliminated.

To this end and as shown, I have provided a seam roller in which there is a support carrying a rotatable roll, and a bracket extending outwardly from the support and having an arm extending along and spaced from the axis of the roll, together with an endless belt passing around the roll and over the arm. The endless belt is preferably of a soft fabric, such as sateen, which will not have any tendency to mar even the most delicate of wallpapers.

The construction of the tool is such that when the roll is moved back and forth along a seam in the usual manner the belt positioned between the roll and the paper prevents direct contact of the roll with the paper, thus avoiding the likelihood of injury to the same.

These and other features of the invention are disclosed in the following specification and in the accompanying drawing, and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an end view of a seam roller embodying one form of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side View of the roller shown in Fig. 1.

The seam roller comprises a metal frame or support mounted at the upper end of a handle l2, the support having an outwardly extending projection l4 carrying an axle l6 screw-threaded at I8 into the projection. Upon the axle is rotatably mounted a roll which is retained upon the axle by a flange 22 upon the latter. The size of the roll is such that an appreciable space is left between the circumference of the roll and that part of the support immediately above the handle.

Secured to the projection on the support is a bracket 24 preferably formed of metal rod or wire stock and having a portion 26 extending outwardly upon one side of the roll in a direction divergent from the axis of the handle. The upper end of the bracket is bent or otherwise shaped to form a U-shaped arm 2.8. The arm extends laterally from the bracket in a direction along and spaced from the axis of the roll 20 but projects outwardly so that the arm diverges at an acute angle from the axis. An endless belt 30. is arranged to pass around the roll 20 and over the arm 28. Preferably, the belt is formed of soft fabric, such as sateen, and preferably also is somewhat wider than the roll and thus serves as a protecting member to prevent engagement of the roll with the work being operated upon.

By inclining the arm outwardly from the axis of the roll the belt is caused to be retained upon the roll substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The extreme end of the arm 28 has a, portion 32 forming part of the U of the arm, which operates to prevent movement of the belt off the arm under sidewise pressures, and the support I0 is provided with an upstanding projection 34 which acts as a guard for preventing movement of the belt off the roll 20.

In the operation of the tool, the latter is gripped by means of the handle I2 and pressed against a seam or other work so that that portion of the belt on the roll located toward the left in Fig, l is against the work and the tool is moved back and forth along the seam under suflicient pressure to smooth out the seam. It is to be noted that the inclination of the bracket portion 26 relatively to the axis of the handle is sufficient to permit considerable variation in the angle which the handle can be held relatively to the work without forcing the bracket against the work. Thus, the tool can be used with the handle substantially parallel to the work or making an angle of as high as 40 with it. This facilitates operation of the tool in that the operator can use a natural full-arm motion in causing movement of the tool along the seam. During such movement the roll 20 moves along the seam to apply pressure thereto through the belt 30 which, while it rolls up on one side and unrolls on the other side, does not actually shift its position bodily along the seam adjacent to the point of pressure of the roll against the seam.

Thus, there is no tendency of the belt to engage the work irictionally in such a way as to mar it and, of course, the belt prevents contact of the roll wth the work, thus eliminating any likelihood of damage thereto.

While my invention has been described as being adapted for use in rolling or smoothing out wallpaper seams, it is also adapted for other uses.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A seam roller comprising a support, a roll rotatably mounted upon the support, a bracket secured to the support and comprising an arm extending along and spaced from the axis of the roll, and an endless belt passing around the roll and over the arm.

2. A seam roller comprising a support, a roll rotatably mounted upon the support, a bracket extending outwardly from the support, an arm extending laterally of the bracket in spaced relation to the axis of the roll, and an endless belt passing around the roll and over the arm, the arm being constructed and arranged to extend outwardly at an acute angle from the axis of the roll to retain the belt upon the roll during rotation of the latter.

3. A seam roller comprising a support, a roll rotatably mounted upon the support, a handle secured to the support, a bracket carried by the support and having a portion extending outwardly away from. the roll and in a direction divergent from the axis of the handle, an arm extending laterally from the bracket along and in spaced relation to the axis of the roll, and an endless belt passing around the roll and over the arm.

4. A seam roller comprising a support, an outwardly extending projection on the support, an axle extending laterally of the projection, a roll rotatably mounted upon the axle in spaced relation to the support, a bracket extending outwardly of the support, a u-shaped arm extending laterally from the bracket along and in spaced relation to the axis of the roll, and an endless belt passing around the roll and over the arm.

5. A seam roller comprising a support, a roll rotatably mounted upon the support, a handle secured to the support, a bracket carried by the support and having a portion extending outwardly of the support in a direction divergent from the axis of the handle, an arm extending laterally of the bracket and outwardly away from the axis of the roll, and an endless fabric belt passing around the roll and over the arm.

WILLIAM PARKINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 354,810 Rowland Dec. 21, 1886 375,820 Rowland Jan. 3, 1888 

